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Buying a Longboard

Rode a Longboard 3 times in my life so dont know much about longboards. Looking to get in the water more often in the summer for those non-shortboardable days - read not-so-fun-on-a-shortboard-days - I plan to mostly use it on small days but will definitely experiment on bigger days here and there. Aside from dings and size (thinking 8'6-9'0) will the shape of the board make much of a difference? really know nothing about longbards so any info would be appreciate.

Yes it will absolutely make a difference! There are many factors that can affect how a longboard will ride including, but not limited to, outline, rail profile, bottom contours, volume, glassing schedule, etc.

Longboards generally range from high performance to all arounder to classic noserider. What exactly are you looking to do with this longboard? This way we can better help you make a better decision.

Got my first longboard for exactly the same reason around 12 years ago. I would recommend a single fin setup with a double concave bottom and beveled rails for the length of the board. 9'6" works for me but that more personal preference. This is what I ride and I have found it works well in all conditions, although it can be a tough paddle out sometimes.
One warning though...after awhile you'll find it hard to switch back to a "regular" shortboard and you may not want to.

Got my first longboard for exactly the same reason around 12 years ago. I would recommend a single fin setup with a double concave bottom and beveled rails for the length of the board. 9'6" works for me but that more personal preference. This is what I ride and I have found it works well in all conditions, although it can be a tough paddle out sometimes.

Thanks for the reply Surferdann. Take that last part back so that we dont get into a shortboard vs longboard thread

Looking to get in the water more often in the summer for those non-shortboardable days - read not-so-fun-on-a-shortboard-days - I plan to mostly use it on small days

Some will disagree with me on this, but I really dont think you can ride a longboard like a shortboard (i.e. turns, snaps, cutbacks) when its too small to have fun on a shortboard. You're talking under waist high at that point, riding tiny little shoulders and pockets. You just cant do high performance longboarding on little 2 foot lumps and sections. Performance longboarding needs speed and open faces to work with.

If you want a longboard for tiny waves get a flat rockered cruiser. If you want something thats even more fun than a longboard for shin-knee high waves, get a mini simmons. That you WILL be able to turn and cut back in 1-2 foot waves.

Come by my shop in Wall and check out my longboards, shortboards and everything in between. You'll be able to see different boards for different conditions and hopefully it will get you closer to what you are looking for.
Tom

Id go for a 9' High Performance Quad if I were you. Ive ridden other fin set ups on a LB and they just didnt compare. Much faster and responsive, angles off nicely(even in smaller surf) and if you try it in bigger surf you'll be surprised at what it'll do. Yea I'm Quad biased but i'm a big guy and they just work better for me.

Some will disagree with me on this, but I really dont think you can ride a longboard like a shortboard (i.e. turns, snaps, cutbacks) when its too small to have fun on a shortboard. You're talking under waist high at that point, riding tiny little shoulders and pockets. You just cant do high performance longboarding on little 2 foot lumps and sections. Performance longboarding needs speed and open faces to work with.

If you want a longboard for tiny waves get a flat rockered cruiser. If you want something thats even more fun than a longboard for shin-knee high waves, get a mini simmons. That you WILL be able to turn and cut back in 1-2 foot waves.

good advice! the high performance longboard is really only good in chest high or over waves unless you are highly skilled. stomach high and below, imo, is great for the cruiser/noserider. if you are interested look up high performance longboard surfing on youtube or mini simmons and try to figure out what you want.

Long boarding and short boarding are two different animals. Surferdann said, "you might have trouble switching back." That's kind of true, but I think for a different reason than what I think he's implying. I switch back and forth between long and short boards all the time, it just depends on how the waves are today. I have trouble when I've been doing one or the other for a couple of days straight, which is frequently the case. I find that it takes me a couple of waves to change over. Kind of like surfing without a leash, you have to get into that mind set of, "I can't just backflip off this wave, I have to keep my board under my feet." Same thing with long boards v short boards. Cutbacks on a short board are completely different than on a long board, you're on a completely different part of the board and you move your body in very different ways. I find that when I'm on a long board, I have to make much smaller movements to maintain trim than I would on a short board and when I want to make really sharp turns I have to be really far back on the board, and almost pivot on an axis. You also spend a lot of time walking up and down the length of the board, trying to maintain the optimal center of balance on the wave, either to accelerate or just cruise. On a 9' board, you'll walk from the nose practically to the tail. If you're me, you'll walk off the tail, end up under the board, surface without holding your hand above your head, catch a fin to the melon and put a 2" gash in your scalp. I've had a fun week. My point is, when was the last time you moved either foot on a short board more than 6-12"? I dig in when I turn on a short board, it's just a different move. I like riding both, they're just different skill sets. The closest thing I have that floats like a log, but turns like a speed egg is an 8'6 Southcoast Noserider. It only turns like it does though cause I'm a big dude. It has a very pronounced rocker and a huge concave on the front. It used to ride like a long board, 12 years and twenty five pounds ago at one eighty. I've paddled it into everything. Also remember Archimedes, give me a place to stand and with a lever I shall move the world. Anyone can duck dive a long board, it's just a matter of leverage. Anyway, get a longboard, they're great, but different. If you've got Netflix watch Hollow Days or Surf Crazy. Good stuff. Hollow Days has the first known instance of someone surfing Pipeline, on a 10' Cali, fat assed, classic shape no less.